


Of Serenades and Televised Sports Games

by VoringPhan



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: DAN AND PHIL - Freeform, English, Friendship, Love, M/M, Music, Phan - Freeform, Phandom - Freeform, Phanfiction, Piano, TeacherXTeacher, dnp, phanfic, teacher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 05:26:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16804507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoringPhan/pseuds/VoringPhan
Summary: Mr Howell is very nervous about his first day at his new job, but hopefully a certain someone can turn those nerves into excitement





	Of Serenades and Televised Sports Games

The boy with warm brown hair shook his head and frowned. “What am I even doing here?” He demanded of himself. “Why am I here?”  
This was the first day of Dan’s new job and he already felt like he was messing it up. Sure, he hadn’t even reached his classroom yet, but the students had been looking at him. They had been murmuring as he walked past. What was he doing wrong? He thought he looked okay, but maybe he was underdressed? Or overdressed? He didn’t know.  
Dan arrived at the front office and the receptionist greeted him with a sharp smile. “And you are?”  
“I’m Mr Howell. It’s my first day.” Dan explained.  
“Ah, yes. Mr Daniel Howell. How lovely to meet you.” She did not make it sound like it was lovely to meet him. “Your classroom is E16. Go across the garden and you will find it next to the English classrooms.”   
More than grateful to get away, Dan thanked her and left. Unfortunately, the school was big and he was soon lost.   
“Shit.” He muttered to himself. He hurried down the hall and turned a sharp left.   
A sharp pain split through his forehead as he crashed into someone. Dan raised his head sharply and exclaimed, “Ouch!”   
The man he had crashed into surveyed him with amused eyes. “I think I’m the one who should be exclaiming. You crashed into me.”  
Dan opened his mouth to protest, but closed it as he looked at the man’s cheeky grin. “Okay, yes. I’m sorry.” Dan said.  
“No problem. I’m Phil Lester.” He put his hand out and Dan shook it as Phil continued speaking. “I haven’t seen you around here before. Are you new?”  
“Yes,” a nervous smile played at Dan’s lips. “I’m Dan Howell. I’m the new music teacher and I’m, er, kinda lost.”  
Phil’s grin bloomed into a joyful smile. “Great! I’m the English teacher. Our classrooms are right next to each other. I’ll show you the way.”  
Dan breathed a sigh of relief and followed Phil to his classroom. Soon enough, Dan was all settled in and ready to teach.   
Before he was finished setting up, Dan’s first class entered the room. There were three kids, eager eyed and ready to learn.  
“Is this my entire class?” Dan asked.  
“Yeah.” One girl replied.  
“Okay. Well, I’m Mr Howell and I’m your new teacher. I hope you enjoy music this year! Our first lesson of the day is theory.”  
The class groaned and Dan chuckled as he launched into his first lesson.  
After the first class of the day, Dan had the 8th graders. There were substantially more of them than there were of the previous class.   
“Good morning, everyone. I’m Mr Howell and I’ll be teaching you music this year.”  
“Good morning Mr Howell.” The class chorused back.  
“We’re going to do some composition today. As an exercise in rhythm, I want you to compose a rap.”  
“About what?” Questioned a girl whose grade 8 name tag announced her as Abby.  
“Hmm… Whatever you want. But…” Dan pointed at the percussion instruments on the shelf. “You have to incorporate those into your composition.”  
The kids smiled widely and rushed to grab their preferred instrument. Ah, young kids and making a racket. Dan smiled in return and watched them begin their planning.  
They began to write out their lyrics on the whiteboard, which they decided would be a cheesy love rap.   
"You are cute as cute could be  
I want you to go out with me  
I think you’re really, really neat"  
And going out with you would be a treat  
Dan both laughed and cringed at the rap, but the class’s enthusiasm rubbed off on him and soon he was nodding his head to the cacophony they were creating on their instruments.  
They were just polishing off verse 1, when the door opened.  
“What’s all this racket?” Demanded a familiar voice.   
“Mr Lester, look at our rap!” The students shouted.  
Mr Lester took a long look at the words written on the whiteboard. Dan pretended to be reading the blank paper in front of him to mask his embarrassment at his students’ creation.  
After a long while, Phil spoke. “I could do better.”  
“Then show us!” The students demanded.  
“Okay, okay.” Phil was laughing, “But only with your teacher’s permission.”  
Dan looked up. “Go ahead.”  
Phil was quiet for a moment, then spoke. He was looking directly at Dan.  
“Your lips are warm red  
The trees’ leaves are dark green  
I know we’ve just met  
But will you go out with me?”  
Dan was blushing and Phil was smirking.   
“See? I did better. I am, after all, the English teacher. But let me not disturb you any longer.” He laughed, winked at Mr Howell, and left the classroom. The students were laughing and Dan’s cheeks were a bright red.

All the lessons of the day were finally complete. With few students in his classes, Dan had time to focus individually on each student and he felt his lessons were quite successful.   
Before Dan reached his car, he was intercepted by someone calling his name.   
“Dan. Dan.” Phil ran up to him, panting. “You didn’t,” He stopped to breath. “You didn’t answer my rap. Do you want to go to the pub and get a drink?”   
Dan could think of nothing he would like better.  
As it turned out, Phil lived around the corner from the school and walked every day. So, that left Dan to drive them to the nearest pub.   
“So, what made you decide to teach music?” Phil asked, happily seated in Dan’s car.  
“It’s the only thing I’m good at.” Dan laughed. “Except I’m not even that good. So, I teach it.”  
Phil chuckled. “I’ll be the judge of how good you are when you serenade me.”   
Dan almost stalled the car. “Who said I’m going to serenade you?”  
Phil smirked into the dimming evening. “I did.”  
The rest of the drive was filled with amicable small talk as they enjoyed each other’s company.   
The pub was small and filled with the noise of football fans cheering on their teams as the played on the screens.   
“I hate sports.” Phil remarked.  
“Me too.” Said Dan, smiling.  
They sat down at the bar, facing each other, knees lightly brushing against each other as they sat on their stools.  
“I’ll have a beer and one for him too.” Phil said, pointing at Dan. Dan smiled at Phil’s assertion and settled in for a night of conversation with a backdrop of drunken men screaming at sports.   
“So, Phil,” Dan began, “Why do you teach English?”   
“I took a course in university and stuck with it. It’s a pretty cool language. It’s weird sometimes.” He laughed. Dan thought for a moment that he could listen to that laugh for the rest of his life. He brushed the thought off. He was probably getting drunk already, being on his second beer. Always a lightweight.   
The conversation lulled for a moment as Dan stared at Phil.   
“Uh, Dan?” Phil asked. “Hello?”  
Dan started and laughed. “Just got distracted by something.”  
They continued on with meaningless banter until they were done with beers and onto something much stronger.  
“I bet I can drink more vodka than you without throwing up.” Phil challenged, thoroughly tipsy.  
“I bet you can’t.” Dan replied.  
Phil moved his face close to Dan’s. “And if I can?”  
Dan looked Phil straight in the eyes. Their lips were mere millimetres apart and he could feel the warmth of Phil’s breath on his face. Their eyes were looking directly into each other. They were drunk and the alcohol was flooding the air between them.  
Dan looked towards the mass of people watching the football, breaking the tension. “Then I’ll take you back to my place and serenade you. Deal?”  
“Deal.”  
They quickly ordered the vodka. Two bottles arrived at their table. They counted down from three and began to chug. Dan spluttered about a quarter way in, but after he regained his breath, he kept on drinking. It tasted bitter and painful, but the men couldn’t stop thinking about the outcome. Halfway through, Dan stopped drinking, turned a pale green and ran outside to throw up. Phil followed him, grinning widely.  
“I won. I won. I won.” He chanted, as Dan hurled into a bush.  
“Okay, now shut up and get me tissues.” Dan growled.   
With a skip in his step, Phil obliged.  
They paid the tab and left for Dan’s apartment. Phil was driving this time. Dan was drunk. Dan would not stop talking.   
“Can I just serenade you now? Listen, Phil, listen.” He burst into song, causing an endearing smile to flicker on Phil’s face.   
“Hush, Dan. Wait until we get home.”   
Phil’s hand rested on Dan’s thigh as they drove.  
They arrived at Dan’s building and took the elevator up to his apartment. It was an open-plan apartment and Dan immediately collapsed onto the couch. “Phil, kiss me!” He shouted.  
Phil laughed and pulled him to his feet. “Maybe later. Now, you sing for me.”  
Dan grasped Phil’s hand and led him to the bedroom. He took his seat at the piano and smiled dazedly up at Phil.   
“Alright, Dan?” Phil asked.  
“Just lost in your eyes.” Dan replied and began to play. The chords and notes flowed from his fingertips and danced in Phil’s ears. Phil closed his eyes and allowed himself to be captured in the most beautiful sound in the world. The most beautiful sound, that is, apart from Dan’s voice.  
Dan’s melodic words rang clear and were sweet like honey, as he sang Troye Sivan love songs. His voice blended perfectly with the piano harmony, weaving together a sound that had Phil star-struck.  
At long last, Phil Lester couldn’t take it anymore. He leaned down, pulling Dan’s face away from looking at the piano, and kissed him. Dan’s lips were sweeter than the music and they moved together like they were dancing. Dan’s musician fingers left the piano and created harmonies on the skin of Phil’s cheeks, leaving remnants of melodies as he trailed down to Phil’s neck, then his back, then under his shirt, but going no further. Phil’s writer fingers were clumsy as they ran through Dan’s hair, causing shivers to race up and down Dan’s spine.  
They fell onto the bed and continued their song. They kissed until they fell asleep, wrapped up in each other’s arms.


End file.
